[pct-l] Skipping, skipping and more skipping

[David Ellzey]

Well since I am on here I thought I would ask you previous thrus a few questions regarding our 2011 thruhike plan.

First a little background:
This last summer my wife and I section hiked the PCT from Campo to Mill Creek Summit (mile 420) then from Echo Lake down to Return Creek, exiting out over Summit Pass to Virginia Lakes. I am hearing impaired and we hike with my service animal, we have experienced  extreme heat this last year with the dog and of course it really slows us down. This coming summer we will not be able to do much more than a couple of weeks on the PCT, probably in the Sierras since this is the summer the dog gets his service dog certification. So a lot of work to do there off the trail.

So my idea for 2011 is to start on March 31 and hike to KM, which should easily take less than 6 weeks, then skip north to Belen and continue for the next 6 weeks to Cascade Locks. By now it is late June so we would skip back to KM and fill in central California to Belden. Finally its back up to Cascade Locks to hike the remainder to Manning Park by the end of August. Since we will still have our business operating while we are hiking, we plan to have a support person/business assistant shadow us.

As I see it the pros are:
(1) I get to start the hike on my 50th birthday
(2) It should be cooler through the SoCal and NoCal hot sections
(3) We will have more solitude away from the "pack"
(4) Less snow/easier creek crossings through the sierras
(5) Fewer mossies in Oregon?
(6) Less rain in Washington?

And the cons:
(1) Even though complete, it will not be a continuous line and for some reason that feels like less of an accomplishment
(2) There will not be much trail angel/water cache support (but we do have our own support)
(3) We will not have the social experience of traveling with the "pack"
(4) San Jacinto and Baden Powell will almost certainly be a serious snow adventure, might even use snowshoes over San Jacinto
(5) More mossies in Yosemite?

I would love to hear comments, advice and opinions.

Bigtoe